1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vise-like hand-held ratcheting blade that can be used to easily open mollusks such as clams of the little neck, cherry stone, middle neck, or large neck varieties, oysters, and mussels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mollusks are shellfish which are found in seawater and reside on the sea bed, or in sandy areas subject to tidal affects. They are characterized as bi-valves as they obtain their nutrients from the sea water which is drawn into and ejected from the shell fish by means of a siphon membrane within the shellfish. Hard shell clams are generally referred to as quahogs, and can include little neck, cherry stone, middle neck, and large neck clams. Oysters and mussels also belong to the mollusk family as shellfish, but not of the quahog family.
Mollusks are harvested in a variety of ways, but the most common is by digging by hand in those tidal areas in which the claims may be found, or by mass harvesting methods from boats, such as dredging, or raking the sea bed. In order to consume the meat of the mollusk, the shell must be separated to obtain access to the meat. The shell consists of two complimentary hard shell concave halves forming the sides having a seam about the periphery of the joinder. The mollusk is categorized by an arcuate seam which is typically labeled the front of the mollusk, the seam terminating with a notch area which is referred to as the back of the mollusk. The notch area is essentially the hinge between the two complimentary concave halves of the shell and serves as the anchor for the interior muscle which maintains the closure of the seam of the mollusk allowing the siphon secured to one of the inner surfaces of the complimentary shells to draw in sea water through the seam for nutrients.
Mollusks can be opened under the influence of heat by steaming or grilling which results in the shells separating and the meat of the mollusk being cooked. Many people prefer their mollusks or shellfish raw, which requires the opening of the shell with a specialized tool commonly referred to as a clam knife. The clam knife is a knife having a handle portion and an approximately three inch tempered blade designed not to bend or break. The clam knife is aligned with the seam of the shellfish typically in the front, although it can be used in alignment with the back or notch of the shellfish. The clam knife is aligned with and touches the seam and a rocking motion is applied to the blade to separate the seam and to then continue with seam separation about the entire periphery of the two complimentary shells resulting in the separation of the shells at the notch or hinge, and access to the meat which then can be removed from the shell using the clam knife to shuck the meat, that is, cut the meat away from the shell and the siphon. In this manner, the raw meat of the shellfish can be prepared for consumption directly as raw meat, or with a condiment, such as melted butter or hot sauce, or the meat can be used for preparing other food dishes, such as chowders, fried clams or the like. It should be noted that while we have described the opening process of the shellfish with respect to clams, such an opening process is identical for the other shellfish mentioned such as oysters and mussels.
The use of the clam knife by an inexperienced person in opening a shellfish such as a clam as previously explained, can be hazardous in that a novice may frequently cut his hands, the knife may slip, and it takes some skill and experience to be able to align the knife edge with the seam of the shellfish and to effectuate the correct rocking motion with the correct amount of pressure in order to separate the two complimentary concave halves of the shellfish to gain access to the meat. Additionally, it is a time consuming job, even for the most experienced individual in opening shellfish.
There therefore has been a need for an easier and simple manner in which to open shellfish so that it can be accomplished in a quicker manner and more shellfish can be available to more individuals more easily and more quickly than the conventional method. Applicant's knife vise is an answer to that question and allows even the most inexperienced person to easily and quickly separate the complimentary concave halves of the clam shell for access to the meat of the shellfish.